Babylon (Eden Saga Book 2)

by Matthew C. Plourde

  Alexandra clenched her fists and felt mighty. The burdens of her past were gone, replaced by new ones she hadn’t had time to consider quite yet. Only one thing was clear: Medina might be in danger.

  “I’m connected to them,” Alexandra said. “More so than most everything else, I am drawn to those I have helped. I cannot save them all from whatever is happening in Babylon, but I can rescue Medina from whatever life the Child King has planned for her. If Shaun is Iblis, then I’m not sure who Nebu really is. In any event, I have to get Medina out of there.”

  “We’ll do whatever you want, go wherever you want,” Erzulie said. “For now, you need rest. Babylon will be there tomorrow.”

  “I am strong,” she said. “And ready. Who knows how they will react with the gates gone.”

  Alexandra planted her feet on the ground but stumbled when she put weight on them. Her knee burned from where Marco had shot her and her skin yanked in agonizing ways.

  “Strong. I see,” Erzulie said as she helped her friend stand.

  Her legs shook but she needed to act before Shaun and Nebu did. She needed to save Medina from that tower.

  “I’ll get through this,” Alexandra said, gritting her teeth in determination. “Where are my clothes? Talla?”

  “Talla?”

  Alexandra recalled Zana in Eden and knew the truth – Talla was gone. His purpose fulfilled, she was now without her spirit guide. Now that she thought about it, she couldn’t recall anyone besides Koneh acknowledging the coyote.

  Part of her madness or part of some grand plan? She shook her head and her stiff neck protested.

  “Nevermind,” Alexandra said.

  “As far as your clothes go,” Erzulie said, “the fatigues were thrown into a fire. But Lilev left you some other clothing.”

  The fallen angel held a pair of dark leather pants and a form-fitting reinforced shirt aloft.

  “What is that?” Alexandra asked.

  “Clothing for the wasteland,” Erzulie said. “The shirt is made from a metal found in the depths of Hell. Light as cloth, strong as steel. And the pants… Well, Lilev certainly has her unique tastes, that much is certain.”

  Alexandra sighed. “Alright.”

  Erzulie helped her don the new clothing and into her familiar leather jacket.

  “I’ll carry your pack,” the angel said. “And, you might be needing this.”

  Erzulie held the grip of Koneh’s sword towards Alexandra. The rosary-wrapped handle and pitted length of steel was a welcome sight. New hope welled within her as she grasped the weapon.

  “Can you hold it?” Erzulie asked.

  Alexandra pulled it from the angel’s grasp and wavered only slightly. Though heavy, it was manageable. She grinned and sheathed it into her scabbard across her back.

  “You are something else, Alexandra Contreras.”

  Just then, she heard the flapping of wings. Hand on her sword, she crouched and waited.

  Lilev appeared in the sky and dropped into the gully. Dark blood dripped from her clawed hands.

  “Ziel-henel!” Lilev said. “Just where do you think you are going, Destroyer of Worlds?”

  Another cryptic title from the enigmatic demoness.

  “We go to rescue Medina,” Erzulie said.

  “By Jahannam, you are not,” Lilev said as she folded her bat-like wings against her back. Her dark eyes sparkled from under her hood. “First, you are going to tell me what you did. Is Eden truly destroyed?”

  Alexandra shook her head. “No. I severed the thread between Earth and Eden, it was all I could do.”

  “Not destroyed,” Lilev said, leaning against the rock wall for support. She appeared as if she was ready to faint.

  “Eden can no longer harm us,” Alexandra said.

  However, as she spoke the words, something tugged at the corner of her mind. Some lurking threat she hadn’t considered.

  “What of Babylon?” Alexandra asked. “Can you tell us what’s going on there?”

  Lilev waved her hand as if she cared little for Babylon. Preoccupied, she said distantly, “The city is mostly flooded, but the water isn’t too deep. Iblis is calling his demons. Eden’s gate is gone. The place is lost.”

  Thoughts of how close she was to Shaun resurfaced, but they weren’t sweet in the slightest. She felt violated by his control.

  “Iblis is there,“ Alexandra said.

  “This will not do. I must see into the future!” Lilev said, reaching for Alexandra.

  Recoiling, Alexandra said, “Not until you tell me what you’ve done to me.” She pointed to the tracks of stitched skin. “What is this?”

  “I see now it was necessary,” Lilev said. “You failed, Lioness.”

  “What was necessary?”

  “I must seek an answer to this,” Lilev said, more to herself than the human and angel in her company. “I must know what this means.”

  “What did you do to me?!” Alexandra drew her sword and pointed it at the demoness’ throat.

  “Alexandra-” Erzulie said, attempting to calm her.

  Lilev smiled, revealing her wicked teeth. “Neither of us were certain of the outcome,” the demoness said. “If you were to fail, I realized I needed help if I was to survive the next thousand years in darkness. Who better than the Mih’darl at my side?”

  “Thousand years?” Alexandra asked. “What are you babbling about?”

  “Don’t you remember our conversation? Every thousand years a new one will be born with the power to destroy Eden. If you failed, which you did, then the task of training a new Godslayer would fall to me.”

  “You’re mad,” Alexandra said. “I told you, it’s over. Eden may as well be destroyed.”

  “So you think,” Lilev said. “There are ways to repair the thread you cut. At the very least, you bought us time, so I suppose you are not a total waste.”

  Alexandra advanced and said through clenched teeth, “What did you do to me?”

  “While you are made from superior material, you weren’t invincible,” Lilev said. “Your body would have fallen apart in old age, like all other humans.”

  “Why do you speak in the past tense?”

  Lilev grinned. “Oh, because it is fitting.”

  Alexandra pushed the tip of her blade against Lilev’s throat and said, “Last chance.”

  “I studied the curse placed upon Koneh for many years before he decided he hated me,” Lilev said quickly. “A marking of the bones and ancient power only a few of us know how to wield.”

  “What does Koneh have to do with this?”

  “You are now just like him,” Lilev said. “Suspended in your current body, you will not age nor die.”

  Alexandra lowered her weapon and stumbled backwards. Somehow, she remained standing. What did that mean? Was she now cursed to walk the earth for eternity, as was Koneh?

  Lilev followed her and said, “The sharpest blade cannot sever your bones. The hottest fire will not pierce your skin. You will not starve nor suffocate. Till the end of days you will remain, forever a testament to the world that was.”

  Surprised she was able to speak, she looked into the demoness’ wicked face and asked, “Why?”

  “The task to destroy Eden is still yours,” Lilev said. “When the next Mih’darl arrives, you will conduct the training. And if that one fails, you will train the next. My body can be destroyed, but you are eternal. Until you complete your task, you will remain on this Earth. That is the curse I have placed upon you, Alejandra of the Mayan Expanse. This is now and forever your destiny.”

  Chapter 30

  “No!” Alexandra screamed as she raised her sword.

  Lilev stood her ground, seemingly willing to accept her fate now that her evil work was done.

  She wanted to kill the vile creature for what she had done, but Alexandra allowed her sword to fall to the ground instead. She followed downwards and ignored the pain in her knee as she knelt in the rocky gully.

  What did it all mean? Was her
fate now parallel to Koneh’s tragic life? Cursed to walk the Earth, forever an outcast? Forever knowing her task remains unfinished?

  “You are wise to keep me alive,” Lilev said. “When the next Mih’darl arrives, you will need my help to get them to Eden. If there is a way.”

  “Go,” Alexandra said, her rage limiting her words lest she lose control.

  “What?” Lilev asked.

  “Go. I never want to see you again.”

  “You mustn’t-“

  With speed she only saw in the angels and Koneh, Alexandra lifted her sword and pinned the demoness to the rock wall. She felt Lilev attempting to invade her mind, but Alexandra shut her out.

  “Leave or die,” Alexandra said. “There is no forgiveness for what you have done to me.”

  Choking against Alexandra’s iron grip, Lilev said, “I yield, I yield!”

  Alexandra released her and Lilev skulked to a spot where she could extend her wings.

  “I will see you again, Lioness,” Lilev said. And she shot into the orange-black sky, disappearing moments later.

  For a few long moments, Alexandra stood and stared into the empty air. Then, Erzulie cautiously approached.

  “I’m so sorry, Lex,” she said. “I arrived too late-“

  Alexandra held her hand in the air to stop her friend. “The past is the past,” she said. “All I can do is move forward. Just… Give me a moment with my thoughts.”

  Dependable Erzulie nodded and flew to a higher perch. For several long moments, Alexandra simply knelt on the ground and concentrated on her breathing.

  Inhale.

  Hold.

  Exhale.

  Repeat.

  “Okay,” she said to herself. “What does it really mean? A thousand years from now, will I be the one to rescue some poor girl or boy from an overturned bus? I’ll speak cryptically and plan to use them for my own purposes? So I can destroy Eden and be rid of my curse?”

  She closed her eyes and wished she could turn to Father Callahan or Koneh. However, with Eden’s link severed, she guessed those visits were a thing of the past.

  How could she have trusted Lilev? Did that mean her faith was misplaced entirely?

  No, she felt her decision was the correct one. Unlike when she opened Eden, she didn’t harbor any regrets. She was there. She felt the doom in Eden. Her only choice was to prevent that disaster from spilling onto Earth.

  Her faith was well placed. Lilev just took advantage of the situation.

  “Demons.”

  Alexandra stood and motioned to Erzulie. Her entire body felt uneasy and she guessed it would be a long while before she was literally comfortable in her own skin again. She decided to cut herself a little slack, as her skin was flayed to the bone and then stitched back together.

  “Alright, Erzul,” Alexandra said. “Let’s focus on what we can control. With the gates gone, I’m thinking Padre Hernon and his cronies will be twitchy. I’m not about to leave Medina in so much danger, even if they are calm about the whole situation. A lifetime of servitude to Nebu and Shaun isn’t a fate she deserves.”

  “I agree.”

  “You’re still with me?”

  Erzulie took her hands and looked into her eyes. “Always. For as long as that is now for you,” the angel said.

  Alexandra chuckled. “I guess we’ll see.”

  “What is your plan?”

  “I’m going to walk right in there and get Medina out,” Alexandra said. “Unless you have a better idea?”

  “While I’m by your side, I’ll fight any battle with you.”

  “Well, not naked you aren’t,” Alexandra said. “Here, put this robe on until we figure something out. Lilev said Iblis is calling his demons. We’ll make finding a blade for you our first priority.”

  Erzulie nodded.

  “Any last thoughts?” Alexandra asked, her adrenaline already buzzing through her veins in anticipation of the impending battle.

  The angel put her hands on Alexandra’s shoulders and looked into each of her eyes.

  “You will survive this fight,” Erzulie said. “I have always loved you, even before you gave me a soul. And I’m not going to lose you again after all we have been through. Do you understand me?”

  “Erzul, I love you too.”

  They embraced and Alexandra found strength in their shared love.

  Love.

  Alexandra broke from the embrace and looked across the rocky landscape towards Babylon. The razor-rocks that appeared so alien to her on her first visit now were just another part of her home. She had been searching for home for so long and she failed to realize she was already there.

  This was her home. The entirety of the world.

  And she wasn’t going to lose it to some unseen force from Eden, nor was she going to surrender it to Iblis and his false king.

  “Let’s go remind them that the Lioness is still amongst them,” Alexandra said.

  Erzulie bowed her head, grinned and said, “My Lady!”

  Chapter 31

  Lilev’s report was accurate. The high, pointed rocks around Babylon were mostly smashed and the gate was gone. Water flooded more than half the city, but it appeared to only be waist deep in most sections. People waded about, working to repair the damaged buildings. Smoke rose from various areas like bombs had been dropped. The entire scene was enough to make her gasp, but the tower caught her breath.

  Before she knew anything about Elah or Eden, she had a dream in which she charged a boy on a golden throne. The memory of that dream slapped her in the face as she gazed upon the tower of Babylon. The roof was indeed gone, and the Child King sat upon his golden throne for all to see. He watched over the city as it went about rebuilding.

  “I’ve dreamt of this,” she said.

  “Really?”

  “Except, in the dream, I was backed by an army.”

  Erzulie looked behind them. “No army,” she said, grinning.

  “Does two count?”

  “Not technically,” Erzulie said. “According to a consensus of-“

  “Never mind. Let’s get closer.” Alexandra pointed. “That building should give us a better vantage point to the tower. Nobody seems to be in there.”

  As she spoke, a group of demons flew high overhead and Alexandra noticed the yellow lining in the clouds.

  The sky was still lightening!

  Some of the demons landed near the central tower and a few others broke away, towards the makeshift docks.

  Alexandra and Erzulie skulked in the shadows and rain from rock to rock until they were in the city. People worked furiously to recover supplies and construct stilted platforms. Were they actually trying to salvage the city?

  Alexandra pulled her hood over her head to conceal her face – she wasn’t sure what to expect from the citizens. They reached the target building and climbed the stairs to the top floor, which was exposed to the air like the central tower. From there, they could see several angels and demons with Nebu atop the tower. A small awning kept the rain off the throne.

  “Let’s just see what they’re doing,” Alexandra said as she crouched behind a torn wall and kept her eyes on the tower. She was hoping to catch a glimpse of Medina, but she didn’t see the girl.

  Packs of winged demons came and went from the top of the tower, and people bustled around its base. They appeared to be bolstering the second floor with a pier of sorts and a new entryway, as the first floor was half flooded.

  “Okay,” Alexandra said. “I can get into the tower pretty easily right now, but you probably can’t.”

  “I agree.”

  “I’ll slip in there and try and find Medina,” Alexandra said. “Go grab a weapon and get a lay of the land. Try and see where the demons are going and what’s happening. Be smart about it, though. Don’t raise any alarms. We’ll meet back here.”

  Erzulie snapped her eyes to a ridge above Babylon and said, “Wait. I see something up there.”

  Alexandra followed her gaze but he
r eyes weren’t as sharp as the angel’s.

  “What?”

  “A rifle,” Erzulie said.

  “Rifle? Must be the rangers.”

  Erzulie shook her head. “No, U.S. Army. General Ryan is here.”

  He came for her! Her heart nearly flipped in her chest.

  “Well, this wasn’t the army from my dream but I’ll take it!”

  “Want me to make contact?” Erzulie asked.

  “Yes. I’ll wait here. Tell them we need to get someone out.”

  The angel extended her wings and flew low amongst the rock cover until she was far enough away to risk the sky. Alexandra watched the demons in the tower with a held breath.

  They didn’t move.

  An hour passed without much change. The people worked on their stilts and demons flew overhead. Then, Alexandra heard something scuffling on the floor below her. She drew her sword and waited.

  Nothing.

  She peered below and didn’t see anyone. Deciding she couldn’t just ignore it, she crept down the stairs into the shattered and partially flooded lower level. Some light streamed through the cracks in the boards, but not enough to illuminate the shadow recesses.

  A hushed voice came from her right and she whirled on her heel.

  “Alexandra.”

  Now she saw him. Masked with brown and gray camouflage and face paint, an American soldier held a finger to his lips. Alexandra recognized him as Captain Zeke Morin. He held three fingers aloft and pointed three times to other spots in the room. Three more soldiers waited in their hiding spots, as still as death.

  She approached Zeke and nodded.

  “Erzulie made contact with our scouts on the ridge,” Zeke whispered. “My team was already down here, so we came to get you. The angel said she was going to carry out the rest of your plan and meet us back here.”

  “We have to get someone out of that tower,” Alexandra said. “Then we can go.”

  “Roger that,” Zeke said. “What’s your plan?”

  Alexandra led him to the top of the building and pointed. “With all those people coming and going, I can slip in without much fuss.”

  He nodded. “And you know who you’re looking for?”